Inside the aircraft, silence rested gently in the air.
Rien sat calmly by the window, a soft, almost unreadable smile on his face as he sipped his tea. His movements were slow, deliberate, as if time itself held no urgency for him.
Across from him, Kuto watched for a moment before speaking.
"Do you ever think about reality, Rien?" he asked, his gaze steady, yet carrying a hint of curiosity.
Rien looked at him, his expression unchanged. "What about it?"
Kuto leaned back in his seat, turning his eyes toward the sky beyond the window. Endless blue stretched outward, quiet and indifferent.
"I mean… what is reality?" he said slowly. "What if we're not real? We don't really have proof that we exist."
Rien smiled faintly.
"That's not the real question," he said.
Kuto glanced back at him.
"The question is… who are you trying to prove it to?" Rien continued calmly. "No one will come and tell you that you're not real. Everyone believes they are real. So they create definitions that make them comfortable."
Kuto frowned slightly. "What are you trying to say?"
Rien placed his cup down gently.
"Reality," he said, his voice steady, "is a layer of information that remains internally consistent."
For a moment—
The air around him felt different.
Subtle.
Warm.
As if something invisible had shifted.
Kuto rubbed his chin, thinking. "So… you're real?"
Rien leaned back in his chair, relaxed. "Of course. I know, therefore I am."
He paused, his gaze drifting slightly.
"Being physical doesn't define existence. Even when you touch something, you never truly touch it. Atoms are mostly empty space. If you define reality only through physical interaction… then concepts like gravity and mathematics would be considered unreal."
Kuto stared at him for a second.
Then rolled his eyes. "That's unnecessarily confusing."
He leaned forward slightly. "But have you ever thought… what if we're fiction? Like someone is watching us right now?"
Rien looked at him quietly.
"Fiction doesn't mean unreal," he said.
Kuto blinked.
"Reality depends on perception," Rien continued. "Even real people doubt their own existence. That doubt alone proves there's always uncertainty."
He picked up his tea again.
"You don't need proof. You exist like an axiom. Self-evident."
His voice remained calm, almost indifferent.
"And even if we were an idea… that doesn't make us unreal. Ideas aren't created from nothing. They are discovered. There's a difference."
Kuto stayed silent this time.
Rien took a small sip.
"From my perspective," he added softly, "I am real. Because reality is simply a consistent set of rules."
The aircraft began its descent.
Moments later, it landed smoothly in an open, isolated area.
Rien stood up without hurry. "Looks like we've arrived."
He stepped out, his movements as calm and controlled as ever.
Kuto followed, stretching slightly before glancing back at the aircraft. "We should probably hide that."
Rien nodded.
He raised his hand—
And with a simple motion—
The aircraft vanished.
No sound.
No trace.
"Let's act normally," Rien said, a faint smile forming as he began walking toward the nearby town.
Kuto followed, his energy returning instantly. "This place actually looks pretty nice."
His eyes wandered freely.
Mostly toward the people.
"Especially the girls."
Rien glanced at him. "They're just normal women. There's nothing particularly impressive."
Kuto rolled his eyes. "Sometimes I think you're just not interested in women at all."
Rien stopped for a second, genuinely startled. "I'm not—"
He hesitated.
"I'm not that. I simply exist beyond such categories."
His tone turned oddly defensive.
"I don't even have a fixed gender. I'm beyond creation itself."
Kuto stared at him for a moment.
Then waved his hand dismissively and kept walking. "Sure. Whatever you say, 'Absolute Being.'"
Rien frowned slightly, his expression shifting into something unexpectedly… human.
Almost like a pout.
Then—
A woman walked past.
Rien's expression changed instantly.
He stepped forward with a gentle smile. "Excuse me. Would you like to go on a date with me?"
The woman froze.
Her eyes widened slightly, her gaze drawn to his long black hair and calm presence.
"Really?" she asked, a faint blush appearing.
Within seconds—
More women gathered.
Drawn in.
Curious.
Interested.
Rien stood at the center of it, effortlessly surrounded.
Kuto glanced back once, then shook his head with a smirk. "Yeah… he's busy."
He turned and walked into a nearby restaurant.
Elsewhere—
In the Han-Huo Empire—
A grand hall stood silent beneath towering pillars.
At its center, Miss Yin sat upon her throne, her posture elegant, her smile calm yet confident.
"There's no need to worry," she said gently. "Rien is with him. Whatever happens, he will handle it."
Lan Xia stood nearby, her expression far less relaxed.
"I know," she replied with a sigh. "But those two…"
She paused, her brows tightening slightly.
"They're both stubborn. I'm certain they're already doing something unnecessary."
Miss Yin's smile deepened slightly.
As if she already knew.
And perhaps—
Didn't mind at all.
Elsewhere—
Within the grand halls of the Shuan Palace, an oppressive silence lingered.
Tall pillars lined the vast court, their shadows stretching across the polished floor. Torches burned steadily along the walls, yet the atmosphere felt heavy, as if even the flames dared not flicker too freely.
At the highest point of the hall—
The Emperor sat upon his throne.
His expression was stern, his gaze sharp and unwavering. Authority radiated from him, not loudly, but with a suffocating weight that pressed down on everyone present.
"We must end this war quickly," he said, his voice firm and absolute. "We cannot afford to show weakness."
A pause.
His eyes darkened slightly.
"If other empires sense it… they will not hesitate to strike."
Below him, a minister stepped forward and bowed deeply. "We understand, Your Majesty."
He lifted his head, his expression tense. "We have also received urgent reports from the north. A large force of demons is advancing toward one of our major cities."
The court grew quieter.
"If we fail to act," the minister continued, "the entire city could be wiped out."
A faint shift moved through the hall.
Not fear.
But pressure.
The air itself seemed to grow heavier.
The Emperor remained still for a moment, absorbing the information.
Then—
His presence sharpened.
"Deploy our strongest cultivators," he ordered, his tone rising with controlled intensity. "Send elite warriors alongside them."
His gaze swept across the court.
"Do not allow those demons to advance any further."
A brief pause.
Then, colder—
"Wipe them out."
The command echoed through the hall.
And no one dared question it.